The model takes to social media to support her daughters' claims after her second child Aoki let out screenshots of conversations with the Def Jam co-founder to show his 'harmful' behaviors to her.
- Jun 20, 2023
AceShowbiz - While most children exchange sweet messages with their fathers on Father's Day, Kimora Lee Simmons' daughters' relationship with their dad turned sour over the weekend. Ming Lee Simmons and Aoki Lee Simmons have ripped their dad Russell Simmons on social media, prompting their mom to speak in defense of her children.
"I'm so sorry to have to do this," the 48-year-old model posted on her Instagram Story on Monday, June 19, before claiming that her hex-husband "has been threatening my kids lives." She stated, "We won't be bullied threatened or afraid. Who gaf?!"
Backing up her kids, the Baby Phat founder told her ex, "Leave my kids alone. This narrative of attacking the only caregiver, the only parent in the home with the kids, the mom, AND the kids for one's own shortcomings and embarrassments is dead. Dead. Dead."
She went on alleging, "The same abusive ish. This is how you manouver with the world and women all around you. Your threats and lies and intimidation tactics are sad. Stop it please. Your own flesh and blood? Enough is enough."
"You said aoki (and ming) would never work again and that you'd RUIN HER (and them)??! Really?" the mother of five continued. "This is how you learn-if ppl don't mess with you-then they don't mess with you. No love lost. And for those of you who know and send your love and support-thank you we love you."
The family began after Ming shared a Story wishing her mother a happy Father's Day, which seemingly ruffled her father's feathers. In an apparent response, Russell posted a shady message that read, "Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children & start asking mothers why he had to fight at all."
Another quote he shared read, "The father you have is the perfect father for the evolution of your soul and the lessons that you needed to learn in this lifetime."
Sharing her side of the story, Aoki let out screenshots of her conversation with her father, saying that she's "had enough" because he's "been awful to [her] for years and that's just the truth." She said that her father "hasn't given [her] a dime in years" and even threatened to ruin her modeling career.
In a lengthy text message to her father, Aoki explained that she "stopped talking" to him because he was "giving [her] panic attacks to the point [she] was placed on emergency medication every time [they] spoke. I cannot have a relationship with you until that stops. No one stops me from talking to you, my health does. I have to put that first."
The 20-year-old said, "Everytime I spoke to you you would yell and scream about a legal situation" that she's "not involved." She continued, "You were putting so much anger and rage on me every phone call." She said her father would be "cursing" and "screaming" that "it got to the point I could not hear your voice without having an anxiety attack."
Aoki also shared a screen recording of a FaceTime call that was muted but showed her father shouting at her. "I do my best. I did not side with anyone over any legal business. He's been directly harmful to me," she claimed. "He tries to get at my mom by hurting us. Since I was 16-17 he literally forced me into needing therapy but said sorry he doesn't have 100$ a month to pay for a session."
Aoki said if she blocked her father or asked for "some space," he'd harass her boyfriend, friends and others around her. In the caption of a since-deleted post, she shared that she believes her father "is not well, for years." She divulged, "He needs help and won't accept that. He refuses to acknowledge he is not himself. He has threatened and bullied my sister, my grandma."
"He's mentally ill or experiencing something like dementia. He really acts like he hates and does not know his children frequently," she further shared. She said that the 65-year-old music exec used to be "the best dad ever and a great co parent."
"He and my mom were best friends," Aoki wrote. "We all defended him against anything and then he suddenly turned on anyone who will let him lash out. It's a really just terrifying change to watch."
Kimora shares her daughters Ming, 23, and Aoki with Russell, whom she married from 1998 until their divorce in 2009. She also has 14-year-old son Kenzo Lee with her ex Djimon Hounsou and 8-year-old son Wolf Lee with her estranged husband Tim Leissner. She also adopted a son named Gary Lee Foster in 2020.
